Where is your EMAIL?

If you read my post on cloud computing, perhaps you have seen my hint that I am recommending the use of a web-based email product. For you people that are still using “computer based” email clients, it’s time to think about either switching to web-based email or you can have the best of both worlds...that is you can still continue to use your favorite email client AND web-based email. You just need to make sure you have the option to keep a copy of your email on the server set....and don’t use the option to delete off the server.

I have used many email services and email clients and I always come back to GMAIL as my favorite. For the longest time I stayed away from web based email, and then when I started testing them, I really liked Yahoo Mail, that is until I really understood and fully tested GMAIL. GMAIL really does seem to have the best interface and functionality. Once you understand labels and see it’s spam detection at work, I thing you will also conclude the GMAIL is the best email application. I know there are those AOL users who are used to the AOL interface and don’t want to switch, I have plenty of customers who still use AOL. These are the customers that call me the most with problems with their email and how to manipulate attachments! I know it’s a pain to switch email services and letting everyone know your new email address, but there are plenty of ways to get the word out and even some tools to help smooth over the transitions, like auto forwarding email to your new ID.

Some of the advantages of cloud computing (there’s those words again) email are:

1.Accessible from any computer connected to the internet (and what computer isn’t?)
2.No need to backup your emails and address book, leave that to the pro’s, besides backing up and restoring email and address books can be tricky depending on the email client you are using.
3.Switch, discontinue, move, whatever...never need to change your email address anymore.
4.Can integrate with your favorite email client...for you die-hard’s who want the best of both worlds.
5.Its’ FREE!!!!

The one disadvantage.....you must be connected to the internet to see your past emails...that is if you don’t integrate with and email client....but wait...there may be new news here, google has an offline viewer in the labs which you can try if you like!

Bottom line is my recommendation is GMAIL as the best “cloud computing” email service for the greatest flexibility and protection. Not having to worry about backing up email and address books alone is worth the switch......until next time.